McMinn Crushes 60m Hurdles with New PR
CLEMSON, S.C. – Tiara McMinn continues to blow past her competition in the women’s 60m hurdles as she climbed into the nation’s top-five with her time on Friday night at the Tiger Paw Invite.
The Miami, Fla., native won her third 60m hurdles event of her sophomore season, crushing her personal best mark she set last weekend. McMinn’s time of 8.06 seconds now ranks third UM history at No.3, but currently sits as the fourth fastest time in the nation. McMinn entered today’s meet at No. 12 with her previous time of 8.16 at the Doc Hale Elite Meet.
“It was a great from her, but I’ve seen this one coming for a while for her,” head coach Amy Deem said. “She really focused this week on bringing more momentum into the first hurdle and she nailed her start and did that in the final. I’ve known she was capable of this all season and I was glad she put it all together today for a very solid race.”
Senior Brittny Ellis recorded a top-10 finish in the 400m Invitational, finishing eighth with a season-best time of 53.66. Freshman Thomas Burns also competed in the men’s 400m Invitational where Houston’s Obi Igbokwe recorded the fastest 400m time in the NCAA this season at 45.35. Burns finished in the Top 20 with a time of 47.59.
“Brittny put a race together and is back to where she left off in her sophomore year after redshirting last season,” Deem said. “I’m looking for her to build off this race and then have a really good ACC Championship performance.”
Fellow freshman Tyrees Moulton boasted a personal best time in the men’s 400m at 47.93, which jumps Burns for the fourth best time in program history.
Andreas Chirstodoulou started his day off running an 8.42 in the men’s 60m hurdles. Friday’s time was .01 second off from the senior’s personal best time he set at the ACC Indoor Championships in 2017. Christodoulou ended his day in the men’s long jump recording a mark of 6.94m.
Both freshman Chauncy Smart and senior Isaiah Taylor competed in the men’s 60m qualifier with Smart just missing the prelims with a time of 6.82. Taylor ran a season-best time of 6.88. On the women’s side, both sophomore Symone Mason and Alfreda Steele advanced to the 60m prelims where Steele finished 12th with a time of 7.44, while Mason ran a 7.47.
After jumping out to an early lead, senior Anne den Otter boasted her top time in the women’s one mile this season with a sub five-minute mile, registering a top-20 finish with a time of 4:58.23. On the men’s side, junior Matthew Wiefels also recorded a season-best time in the men’s one mile with a time of 4:24.12.
Freshman Molly Caudery finished tied for fifth in the women’s pole vault, finishing with a mark of 3.98m. Selina Dantzler, another freshman standout, was the Canes top finisher in the women’s shot put, for the second weekend in a row, recording a mark of 15.66m to finish seventh.
Saturday’s action will feature Kayla Johnson in the 800m, followed by McKinly Brown and Davonte Fuller in the men’s 800m. Sophomore Kevin Arreaga returns to action for the Canes in the men’s weight throw to start Saturday’s field events and junior Tristan Schultheis makes his indoor debut in the men’s high jump, followed to close out the day.
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